U2 Releases New 'Easter Lily' EP

U2 has released a surprise new EP titled Easter Lily.

The six-track record arrives less than two months after the band released another surprise EP, Days of Ash.

Like the previous EP, released on Ash Wednesday, the new Easter Lily arrives on another religious holy day, Good Friday, two days before Easter.

"We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, 'unreasonably colourful’ album to play live … which is where U2 lives," Bono said in a statement released with the EP.

Listen to U2's 'Song for Hal'

"We still look to vivid rock n roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world."

Listen to U2's 'In a Life'

The Easter Lily EP is available now as a digital download and on all DSPs.

What's on U2's New 'Easter Lily' EP?

The six tracks on Easter Lily include "Song for Hal," with the Edge on vocals and written about producer Hal Wilner, who died in 2020 and would have turned 70 on April 6.

Interscope Records

A press release announcing the EP notes that "'In a Life' is a song celebrating friendship. 'Scars' is a song of encouragement and acceptance; scars and all, with a twist. 'Resurrection Song' is about pilgrimage, a road trip into the unknown with a lover or friend.

"'Easter Parade” is a devotional song, a celebration of new life, rebirth and resurrection. 'COEXIST (I Will Bless the Lord at All Times?)' is a lullaby for parents of children caught up in war, featuring a soundscape by Brian Eno."

"It’s a time that has our band digging deeper into our lives to find a wellspring of songs to try to meet the moment," Bono noted.

Listen to U2's 'Resurrection Song'

"With Easter Lily, we ended up asking very personal questions like: Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship? Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward?

"Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart? Or are there answers to find in its crevices? Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives?

Anton Corbijn

"From the rite of Spring to Easter and its promise of rebirth and renewal … Patti Smith’s album Easter gave me so much hope when it was released in 1978. I wasn’t yet 18. The title is a nod to her.

"We will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist, but in the meantime … this is between you and us."

Listen to U2's 'Easter Parade'

You can see the track listing for U2's Easter Lily EP below.

When Will U2 Release a New Album?

U2 is currently working on a new album scheduled for release this year.

The album will be the band's first LP since 2023's Songs of Surrender, which included reworked versions of past U2 songs, and the first to feature new material since 2017's Songs of Experience.